Dog Days of Summer – Heatstroke Prevention

As we head into the “dog days of summer”, keeping your dogs cool should be at the top of your priorities. Year after year we hear of pets dying in hot cars, sometimes after being left for mere minutes. What we don’t commonly hear about are the countless dogs that suffer from heatstroke just playing in the yard.

The primary concern with the warmer weather is heatstroke. Some people refer to it as heat exhaustion, which is another name for mild heatstroke. According to peteducation.com, a dog experiences a mild heatstroke when the core body temperature is between 104-106 degrees (Fahrenheit). A sever heatstroke occurs at anything over 106 degrees.

Know the Symptoms

Knowing the symptoms for heatstroke is critical in getting treatment for your dog before it becomes severe. The symptoms to watch for include:

Rapid Panting

Bright Red Tongue

Red or pale gums

Thick, sticky saliva

Depression

Weakness

Dizziness

Vomiting – sometimes with blood

Diarrhea

If your pet starts exhibiting any of these symptoms, seek veterinary care immediately. Also work to slowly bring down the body temperature by offering cool liquids, and bringing them into a cooler environment.

WARNING: do not pack ice around your pet, give extremely cold drinks, or bring from the excessive heat into an excessively cool building. Doing so could cause your pet to go into shock.

Know the Prevention

Preventing heat exhaustion is much easier than treating it. Here are some things to consider this summer:

Give your pet plenty of water. If you leave a dis outside, make sure to get new water every 2-3 hours or use a circulating bowl to keep the water form getting too warm or growing dangerous bacteria or algea.

NEVER LEAVE YOUR PET IN A PARKED CAR.Even with the windows cracked open, temperatures can quickly exceed 140 degrees on a sunny day. This can be lethal to an animal after only a few minutes.

For outside dogs, provide access to shade during the most intense part of the day.

Move your exercise routine to less heat intensive hours or reduce simply your routine.

Soak your dog with the hose. Aside from being good fun for you, the dog and the kids, this is a great way to keep core body temperatures down.

Leverage a high quality doggie daycare, where your dog will not only have the critical physical needs met, but also have fun while having a watchful eye looking out for danger signs.”